8 Starting School

Hoshino's issue was not completely unmanageable at the moment. The Alternate Universe Quests worked by having me hop to the world in question and accomplish a goal in that world before returning to this world, and I'm still hesitant to take that leap.

The System is pretty loose with the explanation. I can basically enter all the Universes I want, each with different missions and benefits, or at least having a number of similarities. I could only take one in each month. When I took on that mission, for whatever reason, this world would stop in time, and I wouldn't be able to exit the world I'd chosen before completing the mission. That certainly sounds advantageous. However, I don't have enough reasons to just go and do that.

[Is this because I don't know Hoshino very well? No, it's more than that.] If we're only speaking of reasons, writing has never been my talent, nor have I particularly like it. There are other things that are much more profitable than writing. Speaking honestly, I doubt I'd be able to become a decent writer. While I thought most of my writing skills were okay, there was just one thing that stood out in my storytelling ability that left me doubting whether I could do it or not. Why did I decide to make it my ultimate goal? I think that's one of the major reasons for my current hesitation.

[I just "force" myself to like something.] I rarely, if ever, like anything without being forced by something. Humans are curious creatures. It's like I'm contradicting that nature...

Anyway, Chikura Highschool, the place I'm about to enter, is a high class multi-storey building, and is said to provide the same high quality of lessons as the presentation it gave. I was lucky to get in here. Out of the twenty-four orphans in my shelter, I'm the only one who could achieve this milestone. Am I happy about that fact, though? No, not at all. It felt like shit, in fact.

Mahiru, although looking a little hesitant, accepted my invitation to go to school together. 

"What do you plan to do after graduation?" I brought up a topic of conversation as we're walking in the school's building hallway.

"I wonder... I'm still mulling it over," Mahiru answered casually. "Are Yoshikawa-kun aiming to be a writer?"

"That's what I'm working towards, yes." 

I've at least set some targets for that to be achieved. I'll need a job to get by, after all. 

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?" Mahiru looked at me, confused.

"No... It's nothing," I replied.

We freshmen were told to come to a hall, a conspicuous building even from the outside, to assemble. Since we were early, there were only a few people gathered there.

I knew some of the people in the hall.

For one, that woman with the long pink hair, Honami Ichinose.

She noticed me staring at her, possibly by chance. She flashed me a smile as she waved her hand. I reflexively smiled back, followed by a wave.

"You know her?" Mahiru whispered.

I shook my head. "No, I don't."

Still, since the rows were arranged by class, I could tell that she was in the same class as me. There were 10 classes in total. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J. I was in Class E.

Mahiru and I separated ourselves at some point. We were in different classes. Also, even though it was just by class, there were specific rows for boys and girls.

"Later, then, Yoshikawa-kun."

"Sure."

Mahiru said goodbye to me as she went to her class, Class D.

Chikura High School's uniform for boys was a short-sleeved white shirt and long dark blue pants. The girls had short skirts that were almost knee-length. 

I walked into my section. There was a man with glasses playing a dating simulator game, Katsuragi Keima. I decided to ignore him. [He won't reply back even if I talk to him.]

I played with my phone while waiting for all the students or the event to start. I wrote down story ideas that I could use later in my novel, occasionally describing them in as much detail as possible so that I wouldn't forget. 

It seemed like I was getting too wrapped up in it that someone had to clap me on the shoulder quite harshly, snapping me out of my focus.

I turned to my side. I was standing by the edge separating boys' and girls' rows, and Ichinose was standing less than half a meter across from me. She was smiling dryly. "The principal's speech is about to begin."

"...Ah, is that so? Thanks for reminding me." I smiled awkwardly.

"It's okay. My name is Honami Ichinose," she extended her right hand. "What's your name?"

I shook hands with her. "Hirosha Yoshikawa. Please to meet you, Ichinose-san."

"That goes well for me too," she brightly smiled.

***

Hoshino didn't seem to be in the same class as me, which I was secretly grateful for. It sounds like a nightmare to draw unnecessary attention to our relationship in public. I don't mind popularity all that much, honestly, but when it comes to getting known, it always comes with certain expectations. It would be great if it was something I was passionate about. However, if it's not, and I can't, I naturally despise it. I've had that experience quite often before, both in that I disliked and couldn't even carry it out, regardless of my actions which I doubt signified that I could, in the first place.

"You don't mind me sitting here, Yoshikawa-kun?" Ichinose asked, settling into the seat to my right.

"Sure," I replied nonchalantly. "You won't need my consent, anyway."

There are six rows, five columns, for a total of thirty students. There is only one entrance, located on my right. I sat in the second row from the door, and the fourth column at the back.

Students were arriving constantly. I knew quite a few of them. The phenomenal heroine from Date of Live, the guitarist from whatever band it was, or that mute girl from her own name. On the boys' side, there's the dead fisheye, the everything-is-tools guy, and the chuunibyou boy. It would take a lot of time to introduce them properly.

Our teacher entered shortly after all the students arrived. [And boy is she hot.]

"I'm Sae Chabashira," she introduced herself after arriving at the podium. "I'm your Japanese history teacher and homeroom teacher for the first year."

[Is there a future where I can actually do something to older girls?] I thought, a little dissatisfied. I just recalled that a part of the reason why I wanted to help Hoshino is that I could acquire Miyako's Heroine Diary, but even after I get it, I can't actually do something with it, realistically speaking. [Hey, Author, can you give me a special event to get in touch with her at all?]

Anyway, Chabashira-sensei said little. She informed us about the opening ceremony and club registration before leaving us to do things freely for an interval of ten to twenty minutes. 

"We already set the class organization structure," she took out a roll of paper, unfolded it and stuck it on the blackboard. "You may replace it with a class vote, with all students must participate. If there are no questions, I'll take my leave."

I had a pair of good eyes, so I could read the letters on the paper with no trouble, furrowing my eyebrows a bit after reading through it. I filled the position as vice class president, while Ichinose took the position of class president. [Well, I'm not much of a leader type of guy, so I guess that was to be expected.] The decision probably came from the fact that we had an interview before entering the school. Entrance exams are also included, it seems.

Chabashira-sensei immediately left the classroom when there was no one asking.

"Everyone," Ichinose stood up, drawing everyone's attention as Chabashira-sensei left the classroom. "Can I take a few moments of your time? I'd like to do an introduction period. Names, where you live, hobbies, and such. Of course, if anyone has any reservations, you may step out right. I'm not forcing anyone.

"My name is Ichinose Honami! I intend to make friends with as many people as possible in this school. With that said, may I ask for your contacts? There's no need to be right at this moment. We can make a class group afterwards. Oh, I live—"

She went on and on and on with her introduction. In this situation, I mostly just observed her introduction, and after mine, do the same again with the rest.

"—ahh, I took too long," Ichinose laughed awkwardly. "Who wants to go next?"

"I'll take that role," I stood up with a grin. [The sooner the better.]

Ichinose smiled. "Then I'll give it to Yoshikawa-kun."

I nodded slightly, looking around at my classmates. "My name is Hirosha Yoshikawa. I live in an apartment for a ten-minute walk straight to school. It's pretty prominent. I like writing and reading in my free time. If there's anyone like me, I'd love to be your friend."

The students didn't seem to have a negative view of my introduction. It was quite positive. Some of the girls especially seemed like they found a diamond or something. Hehe, should I feel proud?

I sat down, heedless of the attention I was getting. [I don't want to dwell on it.]

Am I expected to interact with all of them here? Because I can only see it that way.

I'm not interested in all of them, obviously, so I guessed that whoever it was that sent me here had to force a certain situation to make me interact with them. I shuddered at the thought. [Please don't do that.]